


The Last Dragoon: Stories of the Eighth Umbral Era

by Chysgoda



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Ascian shenanigans, Eighth Umbral Era, Eighth Umbral Era AU, Found Family, Gen, Secret (sorta) family, You need soft skills to survive post apocalypse, problamatic crystal parents, what did everyone else think about Cid's plan?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chysgoda/pseuds/Chysgoda
Summary: In the wake of Black Rose and the Eighth Umbral Calamity, the world struggles to recover and survive. These are the stories of the last surviving Dragoon and the town she built.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Table of Contents**

1) You are Here

2) **The Violence of Light and Dark**

Eighth Umbral Calamity (Year Zero of the Eighth Umbral Era)

Summary: The night that Black Rose deployed only one soldier survived.


	2. The Violence of Light and Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night that Black Rose deployed only one soldier survived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus I finally start posting this thing to Ao3. I've got a backlog of stories so updates will be pretty regular until I get through that. This will be mostly a collection of shorts regarding life in the Eighth Umbral Era and how that may have looked through a broader lens than just Cid, Nero, and G'raha.

**The Violence of Light and Dark**

Eighth Umbral Calamity (Year 0) 

  
  
  
  


_ “All Dragoon units report to forward post alpha! Garlean are airships incoming. Repeat all dragoon units report to forward post alpha!” _

The orders coming over the linkshell crackled with static as they were shouted. Bel swallowed the half roll she’d had in her mouth without chewing and then slammed back the water in her mug to keep the bread from sticking in her throat. She grabbed her helm and lance from where the rested next to her in the mess tent and ran. Her Drachenmail was still bare metal, there had not been time to paint it before she and Bianca had been called to the front. Her sister in arms joined her as Bel approached the edge of the Alliance’s base camp. They pulled on their helms and jumped. 

~~

Art’imis grimaced at the taste of the potion after she slammed it back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a mass of Dragoons that were attacking the Garlean air force pushing towards the one ship that all others guarded. Silently she sent a prayer to Hydaelyn that her daughter at least would survive this night. There was no more time to do more than that, the wind had never been her element. 

Art’imis glanced behind at the lovers, friends, and allies that lay dead. Her soul raged and wept at the sight. She turned to look at Melisande, the only other survivor of their push deep into Garlean lines. They both looked at Elidibus who wore Zenos Yae Galvus’ body which had been adorned with the regalia of the Emperor of Garlemald. She dropped her shield and pressed her hand to her sternum, a moment of concentration and she held her crystal of light in her hand. When she saw a matching blue-white light in her wife’s hand she laughed. The sound was wild and hysterical, it spoke of a woman with nothing left to lose. This was the last option if the battle didn’t kill them the sudden surge of Aether would leave them burned out. 

“We might not be able to take Elidibus down with us.” the dragoon crushed her crystal in her armored fist. The light sank into her hand and Art’imis could see it glowing in the veins of her neck. “But we can drag the Emperor of Garlemald to hell.”

Art’imis crushed her own crystal and hissed as the aether burned up her veins. She blinked and the whites of her eyes glowed around her gold and silver irises. “I’ll be the snarly wolf, you be the bitey wolf, and make sure you bite his head off.” 

She reached down and took up Raubahn’s sword rather than her shield and nodded at her love. Art’imis adjusted her grip on her war hammer in her left hand. The warriors shared a last manic, feral smile and charged the Ascian. 

~~~

Bel followed the First Lance through the belly of the Garlean airship. Black Rose was here, nothing else mattered except ensuring that it was not released. 

So they ran. 

They ran and they killed any that stood in their way. 

They ran until reached the munitions bay. 

Bel’s echo screamed and she pulled Bianca against the wall. A bullet exploded through the First Lance’s head and continued through where Bianca had been standing. Bel screamed in rage and fear when the older dragoon dropped. Beyond him, a Garlean soldier holding a gun stood next to a control panel. 

“For the Glory of Garlemald!” The soldier shouted. Bel launched herself forward. Her lance found his heart the moment after he executed the command to open the bay doors. The canisters being dropped began to spew an oily black gas even before the bay doors finished opening. 

Bel felt dizzy before she realized she’d breathed in the gas. She staggered as she pulled her lance free. She reached up and gripped the blade until it cut through the leather palm of her gauntlet and into her flesh. The electric feeling of pain focused her mind enough that she was able to turn to Bianca. Her sister held her own crystal of light in her hands and stumbled closer. Sluggish Bel tried to form words but before she could Bianca stabbed the crystal into her chest. Bel gasped when the air was forced from her lungs and Aether burned through her. 

“Live,” Bianca slurred as she collapsed. 

~~

Art’imis gripped the hilt of the katana buried in her gut and pulled Elidibus closer to her. The raw aether of her light crystal has numbed her nerves so she did not grimace in pain as the blade sliced through her back. She spit in his eye, the saliva mixed with blood.

Blue dragon fire burst from the emperor’s chest when Melisande’s spear found his heart. The body of Zenos collapsed forward as a cloud of black lifted from the back. Melisande grabbed Art’imis and pulled her away from the collapsing body. The AuRa had all but passed into the lifestream. The blue-white glow had faded from her eyes leaving the whites yellowed and bloodshot. They looked up as Elidibus coalesced on the far side of Zenos’ body. 

The Ascian smiled at the pair and motioned behind them. “It was not enough Heroes.” 

Melisande turned and her eyes went wide as a black fog rolled over them. 

~~

_ Feel _

Bel coughed and rolled to her side so that she would not choke as she vomited. Everything ached from her skin and joints to the marrow of her bones and the center of her soul. 

_ Hear _

It was several minutes before Bel was able to extend her senses beyond the astringent stench of her own vomit. She forced herself to sit up. The airship must have crashed because what she was laying on had once been a wall. Around her was a silence so deafening that it felt like a physical pressure. 

_ Think _

There was not a single trace of living Aether around her. She climbed to unsteady feet and looked around. The bodies of Bianca, Brucemont the Forst Lance, and the soldier she had killed had all begun to contort. How long had she been unconscious? 

_ My last, beloved daughter, you must not waste your sister’s gift. _

Even if the words were whispered directly to her soul, her head was too fogged to make sense of them. She stumbled and staggered as she went to her sister and commanding officer and collected their soul stones. She would have to get to camp and get help to bring their bodies back. For now, the soul stones and her lance were all she could carry. The munition bay doors were still open and she worked her way out of the crashed airship. 

_ Do not tarry here my child. There is nothing left and you must away.  _

There was no sound other than her own heartbeat. The battlefield was covered in bodies from both sides. There was not a hint of aether for malms around. It was now the land of the dead. 

Bel bent over and wretched again until there was nothing left in her stomach and then continued to dry heave. 

_ You must flee, my child. You must heal and grow stronger. _

No, there had to be someone else left. There had to be someone else who had survived. She staggered as she walked around the corpses that all looked far too peaceful. There must be someone, her mothers, Aunt Serella, the Lord Commander, someone. She needed to find them, help them… 

_ You know there is no one left. You must leave, go to the brood of my ally. _

Bel ground her teeth and her tail twitched in agitation. Not until she was sure there was no one left. She screamed as she felt pain explode behind her eyes and in her chest. 

**_You will go. You will survive._ **

On the other side of the next ridge, Zenos scowled at the ruin of flesh that had been his body. Scowled at the corpses of the beasts which had been his best prey. Such a waste. He looked up and saw the pillar of white light that indicated the use of teleportation magics. So something yet lived. If they had survived this perhaps they would make decent enough prey to make up for the loss of his Beasts. 

~~

The dawn came with a radiant, bloody light to the Zenith. Aether condensed next to the tall old crystal. Unprepared Bel stumbled and fell to her knees. She looked up to the blood-stained sky that heralded the first dawn of the eighth umbral era. She ignored the blood trickling from her nose and the injuries from the battle. She ignored them and screamed at the rising sun. Without words, she screamed her grief, her terror, he denial. She screamed until her throat was a ruin that would make no more sound and then she sobbed until her body shut down and welcomed sleep. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> There are many people to blame for me actually inflicting my writing on the world. Currently, Emet-Selch's Wholesomely Debauched and Enabling Bookclub bears the most blame, the wonderful, loving people that they are. Come join us on discord!
> 
> https://discord.gg/Qs96KPv


End file.
